


Wink of an Eye

by Celievamp



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-28
Updated: 2011-10-28
Packaged: 2017-10-25 01:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/270078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celievamp/pseuds/Celievamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: The story, and characters and anything and everything else concerning Stargate are not mine.  The story attempts to answer Eowyn’s challenge of many moons ago to write a Stargate story based on a story line used by another programme.  The original Star Trek episode “Wink of an Eye” does not belong to me either.</p><p>Summary:  Based on the Star Trek Episode “Wink of an Eye.”  SG1 encounter a race called the Scalosians, whose own battle against the Goa’uld led them to develop a unique deterrent.  Unfortunately it has also trapped them.  SG1 also find themselves trapped and for Sam Carter it becomes a very personal race against time.</p><p>Spoilers: Set season 7 cos Daniel’s back.  Brief mention of events in last ep season 5 (after Meridian).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wink of an Eye

SG1 had gated through to a planet designated P3-449 which the original inhabitants, Daniel Jackson was quickly able to inform his team mates from carvings on the ruins around the Gate had called ‘Scalos’. Their Stargate was situated in a plaza in the centre of an incredibly beautiful yet apparently uninhabited city. Daniel Jackson continued to examine the inscribed pillars set on either side of the Stargate whilst Major Samantha Carter busied herself taking atmospheric and energy readings whilst Teal’c and Colonel O’Neill explored the surrounding area.

“No one home,” O’Neill commented as he walked back towards the stone circle. “Carter – anything?”

“Some unusual energy readings, sir. The atmosphere is clean – very little pollution. Either this civilization moved beyond using hydrocarbons as an energy source or this place has been deserted a very long time.” She looked around her uneasily. “There is something strange sir. I feel like we’re being watched.”

“I concur with Major Carter,” Teal’c said. “We are being observed.”

“Okay,” O’Neill scanned the area again. “Danny – any clues from those pillars as to where these good people are?”

“Well, for a start, there are two different languages here. Most of these panels,” he waved a hand to indicate the ten or so panels to the right of him, “date from approximately a thousand years ago. However this panel is much more recent, perhaps the last century or so. There’s reference to an ecological disaster of some kind,” Daniel indicated an area of the panel. “That figures with what the UAV saw – outside the city there is very little in the way of plant or animal life. But I don’t recognize the words that describe what caused it or what its effects were. And the Goa’uld were definitely here. There’s a description of ‘harvesting’. And there’s this…”

He pressed a symbol on the stone and Sam moved back hastily as a figure materialized about four inches in front of her. It was some kind of holographic recording. The scientist in her immediately wanted to explore the technology that made this possible. The soldier went on alert for any booby traps Daniel might have inadvertently activated. The honorary big sister of said archaeologist wanted to hit him upside the head for pressing buttons again. The lover of a certain CMO stared with some interest (purely intellectual of course) at the image of the beautiful woman that had appeared before them. She was humanoid, a few inches shorter than Sam, her blond hair piled high on her head, with one tress extended down her back almost to her tiny waist. Her eyes were blue-green, wide spaced, her pale skin flawless. The more obvious attributes of her figure were just to say covered with a metallic green cloth. The rest of her was left bare.

“Daniel – what have I told you about pressing buttons!” O’Neill yelped. He shook himself and began to walk around the figure eyeing her with obvious interest. “So this is what the Scalextrix looked like.”

“Scalosians, sir,” Sam smiled, not fooled for a moment. She heard a high pitched whine close to her ear and batted away the unseen insect. “They were a handsome people.”

“Yes they were, Carter. Okay, so does this thing do anything else? Give out tourist information, the weather report, what?”

“Working on it, Jack, but it’ll mean pressing some more buttons.”

“Well, we’ll just have to live with that,” O’Neill waved his hand around his head. “Damn bugs. Carter – we pack any repellant?”

Sam tossed him a tube from her vest pocket and he smeared some of the gel onto his face, neck and forearms before tossing it back to her. Sam also made use of the gel before replacing it in her vest pocket.

“Here goes,” Daniel said, having figured out how to activate the image. O’Neill stepped back involuntarily as the hologram seemed to turn to look directly at him. At the same moment Teal’c stepped forward, leveling his powerstaff at the image.

“Greetings travelers,” the woman intoned, smiling and bowing her head towards them. “Scalos welcomes you. Travellers through the Starwheel are always welcome providing they come with peace in their hearts. Do you wish pleasure or trade?”

O’Neill thought about this for a moment, mentally assessing the hologram’s obvious physical attributes. “Trade, I guess,” he said and then smiled broadly. “Maybe pleasure later.” He ignored Daniel’s sigh, Teal’c’s raised eyebrow and Carter’s blush. “Hey, just being friendly,” he said.

“Remember Argosia, Jack?” Daniel said softly.

“Danny, we haven’t seen any real people yet, just this holo thingies. I can’t get anything from one of them not that I’ve any desire to get that close to one of them, just… “ he focused back on the holographic woman. “Trade.” The insect noise was getting more irritating by the minute, he tried to bat the persistent insect away. For a brief moment he felt as if something touched his lips, almost a kiss and then he felt something prick the side of his neck. “Dammit – Carter, we need stronger insect repellant. Carter?”

For a moment he had felt dizzy, uncomfortably hot, but now he felt fine. But the rest of his team looked very different indeed. They seemed frozen in place, living statues.

“Colonel O’Neill.” It was the woman from the hologram, but this time she was in the flesh so to speak.

“Welcome to Scalos.” She stepped towards him and without warning, put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Whoah! Just wait up. Where did you come from and what the hell did you do to the rest of my team?”

“I have been here all the time, Colonel. You just could not see me. And as for your team, they have not been harmed. They are as they were when they stepped through the Ring. It is you that we brought through to us.” She moved to kiss him again. O’Neill backed off.

“I thought we’d agreed on trade first.”

“We have, Colonel. I was just – how would you put it? – sampling the merchandise.”

***************************************************************************

“Sir!” Carter’s startled exclamation brought Daniel’s attention back to the present from the historical record he was trying to translate.

Teal’c was standing ready to fire at something – anything. Carter was walking around the edge of the hologram, her face pale, eyes wide as she checked her instrument readings. And Jack was…

“Where’s Jack?”

“He disappeared before our eyes, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c said.

If Daniel Jackson didn’t know any better he would say that Teal’c looked spooked. “Asgard? Transportation Rings – what?”

“There was no corona, there are no residual energy readings of any kind other than those we’ve already seen. He just vanished!” Sam checked her instrument readings again.

Daniel turned to the hologram. “What just happened?”

“We are continuing trade negotiations,” the hologram said.

“So you beamed Colonel O’Neill somewhere else?” Carter asked, frowning. All of SG1 had strong reservations about being split up, especially without warning, prior agreement and any kind of back up plan.

“Colonel O’Neill has not moved location,” the hologram said. Carter could have sworn that a hint of smugness had entered its voice.

“Look, I’m not going to play twenty questions here,” she said hotly. “What happened to Colonel O’Neill? Answer me before I start taking you apart!” She started as something touched her face, just for an instant.

“She is very good at that,” Daniel observed. “Most of the time it still works when she puts it back together again. Most of the time.”

“I have also observed Major Carter’s skill at disassembling machinery many times,” Teal’c said, leveling his powerstaff at the hologram again. “Do you require any assistance in this endeavour, Major Carter?”

“Thanks for the offer, guys, but I think I can handle it.” Deeply irritated, she brushed away the buzzing insect near her left ear, sure that even with the insect repellant it had bitten her on the neck and moved closer to the control panel for the hologram. Without warning, she vanished.

Teal’c turned to Daniel Jackson in time to see him vanish as well. He was alone.

*****************************************************************************

O’Neill continued to try to fend off the alien woman’s attentions. Not that she wasn’t attractive or anything – far from it – but he got the feeling that his frozen team mates wouldn’t like it. “Hey, hey, that’s enough!” he said, pushing her back again. “Look, we haven’t even been properly introduced!”

“My name is Deela,” the woman said.

“Colonel Jack O’Neill, of Earth,” O’Neill introduced himself. “So, you all alone here?”

“There are a few of us left,” Deela gestured towards the nearest building. “Once we were a nation of millions.”

“What happened?”

“We are still not certain. Travellers came, many centuries ago. They called themselves Goa’uld. They made certain demands of us, which we refused. The trade was not equitable. They took many of our people as slaves, killed many thousands more when we tried to resist. Our scientists developed a method of escaping their detection. Unfortunately there were… side-effects. We realised that we were moving in a different time-frame, that we had become all but invisible not only to our enemies but to our allies. Most of our children died, becoming old before our eyes. Our women found they could not have more. All of the men had become sterile. So we had to mate outside our own people. Our scientists tried to make the transition back to how we were. Those who made the attempt died. We discovered that physical injury causes us to age rapidly and die. We cannot return. But we can bring people to us.”

O’Neill glanced across at his frozen team mates. One hell of a side effect. With a start he noticed that Teal’c had moved since he last looked in their direction, bringing his staff weapon up to firing position. Carter’s head had turned and her expression could now best be described as worried. Yeah, they had definitely noticed he was gone. Jackson was still examining the tablets. What the hell was going on here?

“So, what did you do to me again? Why are my team mates living statues?”

“We changed you, so you are like me now. Your team cannot see you or any of us because of the acceleration. We move in the wink of an eye. Oh, there is a scientific explanation for it, but all that really matters is that... you can see me and talk to me and we can go on from there.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you. Didn't you guess? Or are you so accustomed to being kissed by invisible women? We gave you the same treatment to bring you into phase with us so that we could better communicate,” Deela said. “So that we could be together.”

O’Neill turned to look at Daniel who was still up by the panel, a look of confusion on his face. Or it might have been constipation. Held for any length of time it was difficult to tell the difference. Either Sam or Teal’c must have brought him up to date.

“So my team is okay,” he said.

“For the moment,” Deela left his side and walked over to Sam, looking her over, reaching to touch her cheek. “You are an attractive people, Jack. Resiliant, resourceful,” she cast a coy look back in his direction, “virile. Is this your mate?”

“No!” O’Neill said. “She’s a colleague, a team mate.” He realised that Sam’s eyes were imperceptibly closing that he was watching her blink in slow motion.

“The insect noise – that was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Now, we must talk. Come. Your friends are perfectly safe. They are only just realizing that you have vanished from their sight.” She turned and walked away from him towards the nearest group of buildings. O’Neill took one last look at his team mates and followed her.

In one of the buildings that they had already explored and found empty there were eight men and five women waiting for him.

“This is Colonel Jack O’Neill,” Deela announced. “He is from Earth.”

“Never heard of it,” one of the men said, standing up and taking up a stance about six inches in front of O’Neill’s face.

Jack smiled. This guy was starting to get up his nose – literally. “Nice enough place, quiet, Goa’uld free since we kicked their snakey butts out. Good fishing.” He stared down the guy who backed off a few inches. “So, who are you?”

“This is Rael, my brother,” Deela said. “My father Corgan, the Elder of our race. You will get to know the others later, I promise.”

“Okay,” O’Neill said. “So now that I know you fine people exist, do you want to put me back the way I was so I can talk to my people and decide where to go from here?”

“He does not understand,” Corgan turned to Deela. “You have not told him.”

“Told me what?” O’Neill asked.

“We cannot return you. You must stay with us now. That is the transaction.”

“A transaction? Hey, lady, no way am I for sale. And anyway, what do I get out of it?”

“You get to watch your friends step back through the gate unharmed,” Rael said, the threat implicit in his voice.

“Rael does not trust you, Colonel. You do travel with a Jaffa after all. But you are not Goa’uld.”

“How do you know, I mean, beyond the lack of glowy eyes and the obnoxious personality?”

“Because you would be dead,” Rael said smugly. “The drug is fatal to Goa’uld.”

“Why did you come here, Colonel?” Corgan asked.

“To find you, believe it or not. Well, to find potential allies against the Goa’uld. We didn’t know you were here. To trade technologies, experiences, histories, to get to know you fine folk,” O’Neill took off his cap, scratted his fingers through his short grey hair making it stand on end in all directions. “Didn’t expect this though.”

“Your colleagues. You are a soldier obviously, but the woman and the other man. What are they?”

“The woman – Major Carter – is a soldier like me, but she’s also a scientist. A damned good one. The man is Dr Daniel Jackson. He studies old cultures,” Jack shrugged.

“He can read the old language. And she may have skills that would be useful to us – and they are both very beautiful,” Rael said. “I think we should bring them over.”

“Hey, what!” O’Neill shouted. “You just leave them alone. You got me. Aren’t I enough?”

Rael just smirked at him and picked up the injector from the table. “Maybe for my sister, but I am seeking a wider range of abilities.”

None of the other Scalosians tried to stop him as he followed Rael out to where his team mates still seemed frozen in time.

They were gathered near the hologram now obviously attempting to question it about his disappearance. Carter was looking pretty pissed off. O’Neill guessed that in a few minutes she was going to start taking apart the hologram mechanism. Daniel was in the middle of asking another question and Teal’c was staring at the hologram, an expression on his face that did not bode well for any Scalosians he might encounter.

O’Neill walked round the hologram again. “That’s quite a honey trap you built,” he said. “A pretty image to gain our trust, keep us busy whilst you made your choice of victim.”

Rael showed him the injector gun. “I think Deela made the wrong choice. You are just another soldier. We already have those. My father for one. They were no use to us then or now.”

“You don’t have a soldier who has beaten the Goa’uld on their own turf,” O’Neill countered. He stepped between Rael and Carter. “I will do my best to help your people, I promise. Keep me but leave the rest of my people alone.”

Rael smirked at him and continued towards Carter. Two of the other Scalosians pulled O’Neill away.

“We need them, O’Neill. The skills of the rest of your group could mean the difference between life and death for my people,” Corgan said. “And even if she cannot find a way to reverse what we did, your scientist-soldier should at least be fertile. For a while at any rate.”

Sam’s hands were hovering over the access panel. She would be able to hear their conversation but it would be meaningless to her. She had no idea of the danger she was in. Rael pressed the injector to her throat and then walked over to Daniel and did the same to him. He made no move to inject Teal’c.

O’Neill was watching Sam. He could clearly see her movements now, the changing expression of pain and confusion on her face.

“What the hell just happened?” Daniel Jackson asked. “Jack? Who are these people?”

Sam was still getting her bearings. She swayed dizzily and Rael moved towards her. Sensing his presence Sam stepped back and took up a defensive position against the man who backed off instantly seeming suddenly terrified of her.

“No!” Deela shouted. “Do not hit Rael! Any physical damage is very dangerous to us.”

“It will be if he comes anywhere near me again,” Sam growled. “Sir, are you all right? What happened?”

“I’m fine, Carter,” O’Neill said. “And these are the last of the Scalosians. They’ve kindly injected us with something that allows us to see them.” And if they don’t start giving us some answers that I like, to kick their skinny little arses, he thought.

“Really!” Daniel stepped forward. “There are so many things I would like to ask you about your culture. I…” He stopped at the sight of O’Neill’s raised finger.

“Later, Daniel. For now we have more pressing concerns. They have deliberately infected us with something that they developed centuries ago to prevent their civilisation being taken over by the Goa’uld. Unfortunately it makes what the Argosians had look positively benign. We are out of phase with our time. See Teal’c?”

“My god, he looks like a statue!” Sam moved towards her team mate. “Is it like what happened with Daniel and the crystal skull?”

“From what I understand, we are in the same phase as the rest of things but moving at a vastly accelerated rate. That insect hum we all heard – that was the Scalosians. Teal’c probably hearing the very same noise about now – and that would be our voices as well.”

“And they did this to us – why?” Sam asked. She was breathing heavily, she noticed absently, as if she could not quite get enough air.

“So that we could better communicate with you – and so that we could engage your assistance in reversing the effects,” Deela said.

“You’ve speeded us up – to what degree?” Sam asked, one hand absently rubbing her throat and upper chest.

“About three hundred times your previous rate of existence,” Deela said.

“Wow,” Sam gasped. Suddenly she felt incredibly hot, her skin seeming to itch and burn. Everything blurred for a moment and when she could see again, Daniel was supporting her, one arm around her waist.

“Sam, you okay?” He reached out to touch her cheek, as if puzzled by something.

“Dizzy,” she said slowly. “Must still be adjusting to this.” Without warning, she collapsed in his arms.

“Deela, what’s wrong with her?” Carefully Daniel lowered his friend to the ground.

“Unfortunately she has reacting adversely to the drug. It happened with some, their lifeforce accelerating to a greater degree,” Corgan said. Jack reached out to check Sam’s pulse, choking back an expletive when he saw her face.

“Jesus, Danny – she’s getting older by the minute.” Sam Carter’s smooth cheek was wrinkled, her blond hair liberally streaked with grey, the skin of her neck crepe. Her hands, always slender, were now skin and bone, their paleness marked with liver spots. She looked the wrong side of sixty rather than the right side of forty.

“You have to reverse this – she’ll die!”

“Her body has not fully processed the drug. We can reverse its affects and return her to your time-frame, but we cannot reverse the ageing. Perhaps your people can help her.” Deela beckoned Rael towards her. He took an injector from his pocket and altered the setting.

“Wait – if you inject her with that will it mean that she returns to our original time stream?” Daniel asked.

Rael nodded.

“Then we need to put her somewhere where Teal’c will see her. If he can get her back to the SGC, at least Janet can try to stabilize her condition.”

O’Neill nodded, hefted Sam’s body in his arms. “Let’s get moving.”

Outside, Teal’c was on the move. He was standing at the DHD. Five symbols were lit and he was just about to input the sixth. Daniel had been scribbling frantically in his notebook as they walked. Now he tore out the pages and tucked them in Sam’s breast pocket, making sure that they were visible.

“A note to General Hammond, telling him what’s happened and not to send anyone else through,” he explained hastily. “I don’t trust the Scalosians not to do the same to them.”

“Good thinking, Danny,” O’Neill said.

“That’s why you keep me around,” Daniel grinned. His smile faded as he saw Sam’s age-ravaged features. “God, she looks bad.”

“Here’s hoping the plan works,” O’Neill said. He glanced across at Deela. “Okay. Give her the shot. But if she dies…”

Wide eyed, Deela nodded, pressed the injector to the old woman’s throat and then moved to put it back in her pocket again but O’Neill took it from her and tucked it into Sam’s loose grasp instead. “My people can analyse it, maybe find some way to safely reverse it,” he said. “I mean, that’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Deela nodded, walked away from the Stargate to rejoin her brother.

*********************************************************************************

Teal’c had just entered the last symbol and pressed the centre of the DHD. The wormhole flared into life. He entered the code on the GDO and got the confirmation signal back. As he moved to climb the steps to the Gate, something appeared in front of him, laid out on the stone slabs. A body, human, dressed in an SGC uniform, an SG1 patch visible on one shoulder. But this was an old woman, older than any human Teal’c had ever seen. And yet it was unmistakably Samantha Carter. Loosely clutched in one limp hand was some sort of medical instrument. He took it from her and put it into one of his pockets. Tucked into her breast pocket of her ALICE vest were several sheets of paper torn from a notebook. Teal’c took them out, studied them for a second. They were addressed to General Hammond and the writing was Daniel Jackson’s. He tucked them back into the pocket. Without wasting any more time, Teal’c carefully lifted Sam’s body into his arms and stepped through the wormhole.

“Medical Assistance!” Teal’c roared as he exited the wormhole, striding down the ramp, Sam Carter’s body in his arms. Dr Fraiser entered the embarkation room a few seconds later followed by a medical crew with a gurney. She faltered as she saw the frail body in his arms. Teal’c moved past her, laid Sam on the gurney.

“Sam?” she reached out to touch the wrinkled cheek, automatically noting the bluish coloration around the lips as she checked the pulse and found it fast and thready but reasonably regular. She was far too cold. “What happened to Major Carter, Teal’c? Where are Dr Jackson and Colonel O’Neill?” Her team was giving Sam oxygen, wrapping her chilled body in blankets.

“We encountered no native population but signs that there had been one. There was a hologram that talked to us. Then Colonel O’Neill vanished from my sight. Minutes later Major Carter and Dr Jackson also vanished. I searched for them but there was no sign. As I was preparing to return through the Stargate to report on the situation, Major Carter reappeared in the state that you see her. I decided that the best course of action was to return with her so that she could receive medical attention without further delay. This was in her hand and this was placed in her pocket,” Teal’c handed the injector to Janet and the folded paper to General Hammond. “It is Dr Jackson’s handwriting.”

Hammond squinted at Daniel’s handwriting which was terrible in the best of circumstances and this had obviously not been written in the best of circumstances.

“He says that they are captives of the Scalosians, that they were injected against their will with a drug that accelerated them out of our timeframe. It was a defence they developed against being taken as hosts by the Goa’uld. Sam had a bad reaction to it which is why she was returned to our time frame. He says it was a gesture of good faith. The accelerant won’t work on Teal’c. He says we are not to send anyone else through as the Scalosians will only do the same thing to them.”

“I need to get her to the Infirmary right away, sir,” Janet said. “I have no idea where to start with this.”

“Understood, Doctor,” Hammond said. “Do what you can. Teal’c and I will be with you shortly.”

********************************************************************************

Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson watched as with agonizing slowness Teal’c, with Sam Carter cradled in his arms, approached the event horizon. Watching the slow motion ‘kawoosh’ of the energy bubble had been something else. O’Neill knew that Carter would have loved to see it and probably would have had a minute by minute exposition on what they were seeing. He could just picture the bright eyed bushy tailed look of excitement she would have had on her face. All in all it was a damned shame. “Tell me again why we can’t just go through with them?” he asked.

“Because we exit the wormhole at the same velocity at which we enter it. We’d be splatted against the far wall of the Gateroom. In fact there’d probably be an O’Neill shaped hole and a Daniel Jackson shaped hole right next to it in the concrete under the observation window.”

“Crap. So we can’t go back until we get ourselves deaccel-deac- slowed down,” O’Neill said. “You’re telling me we’re stuck here, for cryin’ out loud!” He turned to stare at the watching Scalosians. Daniel shivered. He knew that look of old. The Scalosians had just moved to the top of O’Neill’s shit list. It did not bode well, particularly if they had to stay here for any extended length of time.

********************************************************************************

Janet got Sam settled in the small ICU section of the infirmary. She had not regained consciousness. All their tests so far pointed to the fact that their patient was a woman in reasonably good health but in advanced old age with all the problems that entailed – the obvious physical signs of skin and hair degredation, bone density, low hormonal levels, arterial sclerosis, both eyes affected with cataracts, arthritis in the major joints, osteoporosis, signs of aortal fibrillation, mild late onset diabetes and a possible angina condition. At her pre-mission medical some eight hours earlier, Sam Carter had been in perfect health for a thirty eight year old woman. At a guess Janet reckoned that Sam was physically aged around ninety to one hundred years old but she was not an expert in geriatric medicine. The naquada levels in her blood remained unchanged and the protein marker was still present. There was no doubt that this was Sam Carter.

Her hair was pure silver now, rather than gold but still thick and wavy. Her fine skin was almost translucent, her veins and bone structure clearly visible beneath. Her chest barely lifted with each respiration, the air canula resting in her nostrils feeding her oxygen. Her staff had reported problems finding a vein healthy enough to receive an IV line. Janet was waiting bloodwork results from the lab, which she had sent as a priority, hoping to find some residue of the drugs with which Sam had been injected. The many monitors arrayed around Sam’s bed all proclaimed her stable for now.

Janet could not keep from touching Sam’s skin, checking that she wasn’t too cold. Her mind could not quite grasp that this was her Sam. She was still so beautiful, her bone structure clearly defined, her skin ivory parchment, the luster of her hair undiminished only it was silver rather than gold, the waning moon rather than the midday sun. Janet realised that she was crying. She turned to run for the sanctuary of her office to pull herself together and realised that Teal’c was watching her.

“Is Major Carter all right, Dr Fraiser?” he asked softly. “Is she in pain?”

“She’s fine, Teal’c. Her readings are all stable. All indications are that whatever caused this to happen is now dormant. We just don’t quite know how to reverse it. And she does not appear to be in any pain.”

“Then it is you that is in pain.” His dark hand touched hers, his larger fingers engulfing her small hand.

“I’m so afraid for her,” Janet admitted. “Teal’c – I don’t know if there is anything I can do for her. And by extension that means for Colonel O’Neill and Dr Jackson when we find them.”

“You will do all that is in your power to do,” Teal’c said softly. “And no one can or will ask more of you than that, Dr Fraiser, least of all Major Carter.”

******************************************************************************

Eight hours after she had been brought back through the Gate, the moment Janet had been praying for and equally dreading came to pass. Sam regained consciousness. Nurse Tina Ackroyd who had been stationed by the Major’s bed since she was brought into the Infirmary rang her to say that she was opening and closing her eyes.

Janet walked into ICU. Tina met her half way. “She hasn’t spoken Dr Fraiser, I don’t think she’s fully with us yet, but her movements are getting more purposeful.”

Janet stood by Sam’s bed and gently took one frail hand in hers. “Sam, can you hear me? It’s Janet.”

Sam turned her head fractionally in her direction. She tried to speak, her eyes opening fully for the first time, the crystal blue obviously clouded with cataracts. Janet was uncertain how much she could see or hear or if she was suffering from any kind of dementia. This was the moment of truth.

“Sam?” Janet stroked her wrinkled cheek, smiling as Sam closed her eyes and turned her face into her touch. Some things had not changed.

“Feel… strange,” Sam whispered. “Tired… stiff… very thirsty.”

“Well the last thing we can do something about.” Tina handed the cup and straw to Janet and she held it to Sam’s lips, urging her to take it slowly. Sam took a couple of sips and then started to cough. There was a rattling sound in her chest that Janet did not like and Sam’s lips had a bluish tinge to them again. The coughing settled into harsh breathing. Sam opened her eyes again. Janet was watching the monitors above Sam’s bed anxiously.

“Janet?”

“I’m here,” Janet stroked her fingers along her cheekbone again, careful of the delicate skin. “Just take it slowly, Sam.”

“I remember – the Scalosians injected us with something. Something their scientists had developed to make them unsuitable as hosts. Bad side effects. Very bad side effects. Is that what’s wrong with me?”

Bad side effects. That was an understatement. Sam tried to sit up a little under her own steam and failed. Janet and Tina carefully hoisted her further up on her pillows.

There was no easy way to do this. “We found a substance in your blood that the lab is analysing but it’s breaking down fast,” Janet said. “Sam, whatever they did to you, it’s caused you to age rapidly. It seems to have stopped now, but…”

Sam brought her hands close to her face. Her vision was very blurred but she could make out the thickened knuckles, the wrinkled skin and liverspots. Her wrists were so thin and fragile looking. These were her hands. The jagged scar from her wrist across the web of skin between her left thumb and index finger that she had got just before their side-trip to 1969 was still faintly visible as was the white roughskinned burn scar across her right palm from her encounter with the Entity. These were her hands.

“Holy Hannah!” She could not say anything else for a while, seeming to need all her strength just to keep breathing. Janet and Tina both glanced at the heart monitor as the trace jumped erratically for a moment before settling back into a normal rhythm. “How old am I?”

“We’re not absolutely sure, Sam, but you appear to be in advanced old age for humans – eighty to ninety years at least,” Janet held on to Sam’s hand. “You’re stable for now and believe me we’re doing everything that we can to find a way to reverse this.”

Old. So old. The three score and ten promised a distant memory. She was cold, afraid. What had happened? Why was she here? “Janet, what’s wrong with me?” Suddenly, familiar arms were around her, holding her tightly, rocking her gently as her mother had rocked her when she had woken up in the middle of the night from a nightmare.

“It’s okay, Sam. I’m here. I’m here.”

But this wasn’t a nightmare. This was real.

********************************************************************************

Janet made sure she had all her papers in order for the third time. General Hammond was delayed by a phone call: the Pentagon wanting an update on the situation. Teal’c was sitting silent and still as ever. Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson had been missing for three days. Whilst Sam’s accelerating ageing seemed to have halted, they were no nearer finding a way to reverse it. The sample of the drugs that Daniel had sent back with her could neither be replicated nor fully analysed. There were just too many unknowns about it. Earth’s medical facilities – even at the SGC – were just not advanced enough.

And Sam knew it. She spent most of the time since regaining consciousness in an uneasy, shallow sleep. Her energy levels were very low and she was in a very frail condition. Her one attempt to walk unaided had led to her falling. She had been very lucky not to fracture anything; her bone structure was very brittle due to osteoporosis. Most of the time her faculties and memory were sharp as ever as was her sense of humour and her temper. As ever, she was not the most gracious of patients. Emotionally, she was all over the place. Janet was afraid that if things continued as they were much longer, Sam would sink into a deep depression as she had when Jolinar was killed.

Janet could not help her. Yet again they were going to have to rely on one or more of their alien allies to help them. It was just as well Sam was so well thought of. Even the Tollan might pull their fingers out as it was Sam who needed the help. It still left a sour taste in Janet’s mouth. So many times this happened, so many times her hard won knowledge and skills were not enough to help her friends and loved ones.

And they could not forget the Colonel and Daniel Jackson. They were still stranded on Scalos.

The General had authorized opening the wormhole to deliver a message letting their stranded people know that they were still working on the problem and to deliver some additional supplies.

They were awaiting the arrival of Jacob Carter, probably with Anise in tow. Even though Janet had little time for the Tokra scientist she acknowledged that they needed her expertise and maybe her aloofness. Everyone else was too personally involved in this.

Teal’c was prepared to go to Thor’s hall on Cimmeria to contact the Asgard to see if their advanced medical technology could assist.

“Okay, people,” Hammond entered the room. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to make this quick. They want me in Washington by this evening to report in person on the disappearance of Colonel O’Neill and Dr Jackson. Dr Fraiser, what can you tell me about Major Carter’s condition?”

“She’s currently stable. She has not ‘aged’ since Teal’c brought her back from Scalos but neither have there been any signs of her condition reversing as her body metabolises the drug. I estimate her current apparent physical age at somewhere approximately ninety to one hundred years old. But she has not ‘lived’ that length of time, she retains no memory beyond going to Scalos and being injected with the drug, then feeling extremely ill and collapsing. I’ve only seen something like this once before when I was with the CDC. We were called in to consult on the case of several Navy personnel and two FBI agents who had come into contact with a contaminant that produced the physical symptoms of rapid ageing. One of the FBI agents was also a medical doctor and was able to do some analysis in the field before her symptoms became too advanced. She described it as a ‘heavy salt’ which acted as a catalyst in the body completely throwing out the body’s fluid and electrolyte balance and severely compromising the endocrine system. All the Navy personnel died but the two FBI agents survived thanks to dialysis and treatment with synthetic hormones.”

“Are you seeing anything similar in Major Carter’s case? Could the same treatment be used here?”

Janet sighed. “I’m afraid not, sir. The drug sample that Teal’c brought back has too many unknown compounds in it for us to fully analyse and replicate with our level of technology. I’m hoping that Anise can do more with it. There’s nothing I can do but make Major Carter comfortable and hope that her condition improves on its own.”

********************************************************************************

Daniel was doing what he did best, examining the Scalosian writings, putting together their history and comparing it to what Deela and Corgan were able to tell him. O’Neill watched him, scowled at Rael, who matched him scowl for scowl and tried not to think too much. He could not get over his last sight of Sam Carter, sprawled bonelessly in Teal’c’s arms, her frailty, the obvious ageing in her face. She looked older than his mother, older than his grandmother for crissake! Getting angry again he got up to walk it off, patrolling the area around the Stargate, ignoring the Scalosians.

If his people could not find a way to reverse this…

Daniel’s big discovery was that the Scalosians might not have been the first people to inhabit the planet. Also, the language on the stele was vastly different to that used by modern Scalosians. At some point due to the generations-long depredations of the Goa’uld they had forgotten the old tongue and with it much of their history. Several of the Scalosians had begun to help him, driven by the renewed hope for their future to find something out about their past. Rael did not bother to hide his contempt for the humans and what he saw as a ridiculous waste of time. Corgan had to order him to co-operate.

Jack O’Neill watched them. He was happy that Daniel had found something with which to occupy his time. He did not have that luxury. The passage of time concerned him. They had been here several months – and that related to only a couple of days in real terms.

Suddenly he heard a deep rumbling sound that he felt in his bones almost as much as in his ears. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the Scalosian Gate and with a start he realised that someone must be dialing in.

With any luck it would be the SGC. With even greater luck they might have come up with a way to solve this and get them off this dump of a planet.

Daniel was already waiting by the DHD. “Two chevrons encoded so far. This could take some time, Jack.”

“Got nothing else to do,” O’Neill grumbled. “You did say in your message not to send any other people through didn’t you?”

“Yes, Jack,” Daniel said. He nodded in satisfaction as there was another rumble and the third chevron lit. “Not long now.”

******************************************************************************

Jacob looked down at his daughter somewhat shocked by her appearance. Anise was studying the profile Janet had put together for her. “It will take time to analyse the chemical, several days at least. And I have no idea if it will be possible to produce a chemical agent that would reverse the ageing. I don’t think that even a symbiote could do that at this point,” Anise said at last. “But I think if we use the healing device on the major we can alleviate some of the symptoms – the arthritis, the cataracts and the heart and vascular problems. That will at least give Major Carter a better quality of life until a cure can hopefully be found.”

Janet had not moved from Sam’s side. “You will use the healing device on her?”

Jacob nodded. “I will. I’m actually handier with it than Anise. She’s more on the theoretical side.” He grinned at his colleague’s glacial stare.

“Have you contacted the Asgard?” Anise said. “Ultimately, their technology may be of more use to Major Carter than ours.”

“Teal’c is on Cimmeria now, with Gairwyn, making contact,” Janet said. “But they have been very busy with their war against the Replicators lately. They may not have the time or resources to come.”

“It’s SG1,” Jacob said confidently. “They’ll come.”

They paused as the still figure on the bed shifted and opened her eyes. “Dad?”

“I’m here, Sammie,” Jacob on Selmac’s prompting put his best face on as he stepped towards his daughter’s bed. Truth was the last time he had seen anyone look this old and sick was Serouche, Selmac’s last host, just before she died. “How are you doing?”

“You know. Not so bad. I can see why you used to complain so much about the arthritis, though,” Sam said.

“It’s a bitch, isn’t it,” Jacob smiled. “Anise and I think we can do something about that. The healing device won’t reverse the ageing but it will make things a little easier to bear. Will you let me help you, Sam?”

Sam nodded, looked around for Janet. “I’m here,” Janet smiled, taking her lover’s hand. Sam took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her father threaded his hand through the healing device and held it about six inches above Sam’s chest. He closed his eyes as a golden light began to play across Sam’s body. Janet could see Sam’s breathing deepen, her colour improve, the blue shadows around her mouth and under her eyes disappearing.

“Sam, I need you to open your eyes for this,” Jacob said. “And it might get a little uncomfortable. If the pain gets too bad, tell me and I’ll stop.” He looked at Janet, who nodded. Sam’s monitors would tell her if things got too bad. They both knew that Sam would go through hell and back rather than admit to being in pain.

Jacob held the healing device so that the light shone directly into Sam’s eyes. Janet felt Sam’s grip tighten painfully on her fingers as the light grew in intensity. Jacob watched his daughter’s face intently as the cloudiness in her corneas began to clear.

“Jacob!” Janet warned. Sam’s monitors had just spiked and the grip on her hand had become bonecrushingly tight. Immediately he shut off the device. Sam leant back against the pillows, her eyes closed, breathing heavily, tears trickling down her cheeks.

“We can try again tomorrow, if you’re feeling up to it,” Jacob said. “I’m sorry that I hurt you, sweetheart.”

“It’s okay, dad,” Sam said, keeping her eyes closed. “It just got a little much, you know.”

Janet turned off the overhead lights, in the dimness she took out her penlight and sat on the edge of Sam’s bed again. “Sam, could you open your eyes, I just want to check them for a moment. I’ll try not to hurt you. The lights are down low, I promise okay?”

After a moment, Sam slowly opened her eyes. Janet held her face in her hands, turning her head slightly to get a better aspect. The occlusion in her right eye was almost gone, and there were signs that it had been retarded in her left eye. It would take at least another treatment to completely eradicate the cataracts. Janet tried to further examine Sam’s eyes with the penlight but Sam jerked away with a cry of pain.

Janet winced. Contrary to O’Neill’s belief she hated causing anyone unnecessary pain. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry about that, I can see that they’re still sensitive. Keep them closed for now, sweetie. I want to lightly bandage them until the next treatment session just to protect your sight. Is that okay, Sam?”

“Anything but the penlight,” Sam said fervently, her eyes firmly closed, tears leaking down her cheeks. “Dad?” She reached out her hand and Jacob took it. “Thank you and Selmac for trying to help me. And you too, Anise.”

*******************************************************************************

O’Neill stared at his watch. It was still keeping SGC time which meant that to his eyes it was as if it was broken. By his calculation a little over four days had passed in the real world. For Danny and him well, it had been weeks, months even. If something didn’t happen real soon he was going to go toe to toe with Rael just for the hell of it and bugger the consequences.

The last message through from the SGC had not been encouraging. Carter was okay, which was good, but nothing they had tried, not even the Tokra healing device had been able to reverse the drug’s effects. Anise and Fraiser were working separately on analyzing the drug but neither held out much hope for a short term solution. Teal’c was talking to the Asgard. All that O’Neill could hope was that Thor and his little grey assed buddies would be able to pull SG1’s collective gonads out of the fire one more time.

Because he didn’t know how long he could continue saying no to Deela. It seemed that every time he turned around she was there, watching him. It was Laira all over again. And look how well that had turned out.

******************************************************************************

Teal’c and Gairwyn stood in Thor’s chamber. The Viking warrior-god hologram had deactivated to be replaced with Thor’s slim form. “Teal’c, Gairwyn. How can we be of assistance?”

Teal’c succinctly explained what had happened on Scalos and Major Carter’s fragile condition.

Thor turned aside and consulted something for a second. “I regret we do not have a ship in Earth’s vicinity at the moment and have none to spare to send there, much as I would like to help Major Carter. The Asgard owe her a great debt.”

Teal’c drew himself up to his full height and stared down at the alien hologram. “Yes you do, Thor. What do you propose to do to honour that debt?” He could feel Gairwyn’s anxiety at his actions as she stood at his side. For generations her people had believed Thor to be a god, their ultimate protector. She was still not used to his will being questioned in this manner.

“We do have a ship in the vicinity of Cimmeria. Bring her here in twelve of your hours and we will see what we can do.”

“And what of O’Neill and Daniel Jackson. They are trapped on Scalos?”

“When we are sure we can reverse what was done, we will attempt to rescue O’Neill and Jackson as well as the surviving Scalosians,” Thor said.

“Thank you,” Teal’c bowed to the small alien. Thor inclined his head and then winked out of existence. The audience was over.

*******************************************************************************

“Will Major Carter be fit to travel to Cimmeria?” General Hammond asked.

“I think so, if we take appropriate precautions,” Janet said. “And I will need to accompany her.”

“Understood, Dr Fraiser. I was actually going to suggest as much,” Hammond said, the gentle smile on his face negating any reproof in his tone at her forwardness. “How is she doing?”

“She’s had two sessions with Jacob and the healing device and her general condition has improved considerably,” Janet said warmly. “Her cardiovascular system is almost back to what it was, her bone density has increased and her eyesight has also improved although she is experiencing extreme photosensitivity at the moment. For some reason that procedure was particularly painful for her. General Carter was hoping to fit in a third healing session to help improve her mobility and further correct her heart problems before he was recalled.”

“Persus regretted the necessity but was quite insistent that Jacob and Anise return straight away,” Hammond said. “Okay, Dr Fraiser, Teal’c, you have a go. Good luck.”

******************************************************************************

“I feel like a bloody Tellietubbie,” Sam grumbled as Janet and Alicia helped her into the thick quilted jacket and trousers. “Are you sure this is necessary? I’ve been through the Stargate hundreds of times. I’m way over the chilled thing.”

“You were blue with cold when you came through from Scalos,” Janet said. “I don’t want to take any chances with you, Sam.”

“And if you think I’m going to the Gateroom in a wheelchair, you can think again,” Sam’s eyes might well be obscured by the protective dark glasses she was wearing but Janet knew that she was being glared at.

“Well it’s either that or Teal’c carries you,” Janet said, zipping up Sam’s jacket with slightly more force than was perhaps necessary. “And Sam, I know you’re upset with your dad right now, but please don’t take it out on me.”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. “Sorry, Janet,” Sam whispered at last. “I’m just so scared that this is how I’m going to be forev… for however long I’ve got left, you know?”

“I’m going to be with you every step of the way, Sam,” Janet said, letting her fingers skim gently over Sam’s cheek. “You won’t be alone. And Teal’c will be with us, watching our backs. So, feel up to a little trip?”

Sam nodded. “But I’m still not going in the wheelchair.” Janet could see the determined set of her face and knew that there was no way she was going to win this one.

“I can wheel it, Dr Fraiser. And if Major Carter needs to take a break on the way, it will be ready,” Alicia offered as a compromise before the two women could start round two.

Janet threw up her hands in defeat and Sam smiled broadly.

 

Taking two rest stops along the way they made it to the Gateroom where Teal’c was waiting for them. As Alicia made Sam sit down and rest again for a few moments, Teal’c led Janet to one side.

“I am concerned for Major Carter’s safety when we get to Cimmeria. The terrain to the obelisk where one gains entry to Thor’s hall is quite arduous to traverse. We may need to carry her.”

Janet nodded. “I thought as much remembering Sam’s description of the place. Maybe we can borrow transport from the Cimmerians – horse and cart, something like that to get us at least part of the way.”

“Gairwyn would be happy to arrange such a thing, I am sure.”

“Guys, it’s rude to keep your elders and betters waiting,” Sam called.

“Elders and betters,” Janet scoffed. “I bet Teal’c still has a few years on you, Sam.” She glanced up to the control room where Harriman was at the dial-out computer and nodded. She took up position at Sam’s right side, Teal’c standing at her left. “Okay, you ready to do this.” The gate began to spin, chevrons smoothly locking into place one by one. Janet took Sam’s arm and quietly warned her not to look directly at the wormhole. Even with protective lenses it would be too bright to be safe. Sam nodded and kept her gaze directed at the metal mesh flooring under her feet.

There was the now familiar kawoosh and the pool of light steadied. Leaning on Teal’c’s arm and with Janet supporting her on her right, Sam made her way slowly up the ramp. They paused on the brink for a moment.

“Good luck, Major,” Hammond called down from the Observation Room.

“To Oz,” Sam whispered, her fingers tightening their grip on Janet’s hand through the thickly padded gloves she wore to protect her from the cold.

“To Oz,” Teal’c agreed, and in step, they walked through.

******************************************************************************

Gairwyn and a coterie of her warriors were waiting at the other side to greet them. Sam slumped heavily against Janet as they exited the Gate, almost sending the smaller woman crashing to the floor as well as Teal’c tried to steady them both.

“That first step…” Sam gasped. “Oh god, I’m going to be sick. I’m too old to throw up!” Janet helped her sit and checked her instruments. Sam had transponder patches pasted to her skin at several points on her body, sending information on her heart rate, respiration and blood pressure to a small handheld computer that Janet carried so that she could constantly monitor Sam’s condition. Sam had helped Janet to develop the technology for use with offworld teams a few months earlier though she never suspected that she would be the one giving it its first real workout. Telemetry could even be broadcast back to the SGC through an open wormhole. “How am I doing?”

“Well you’re staying exactly where you are for the next ten minutes at least,” Janet said. “Your heart beat is all over the place and your blood pressure is heading south for the winter. Take deep slow breaths, Sam.”

Gairwyn approached. “Teal’c told me what had happened, but I did not believe it could be so. Major Carter, I grieve for your loss but at least now you have the age that matches your wisdom.”

“That’s usually my dad’s line – the oldest and wisest among us,” Sam laughed, her breath wheezing. Janet’s computer peeped an alarm. “Oh god, that hurt’s.”

Janet moved into action, taking a small bottle of tablets from one of her pockets. Kneeling beside Sam she shook out one of the small white pills. “Sam, open your mouth.”

Alarmed by the growing pain in her chest, Sam did as she was told. Janet popped the pill between her lips. “Hold that under your tongue and let it dissolve, the pain should go away in a minute or two. Now stay still and be quiet!” There was a greyness to Sam’s pallor that Janet definitely did not appreciate. “Gairwyn, there is no way that Sam can make it to Thor’s Hall under her own steam in her current condition. Is there some sort of cart we can use to carry us as far as possible.”

“Of course,” Gairwyn said. “And two strong oxen to pull it. They will take us to the foot of the mountain at least. Toryn and Valdor, my sisterson’s will accompany us. They can carry Major Carter the rest of the way if it proves necessary.”

“I will carry Major Carter,” Teal’c said immediately.

“But we would be glad of their company,” Janet said. Teal’c realised that he had been less than diplomatic and inclined his head in agreement.

“Indeed we would, Gairwyn. And we thank you for your assistance.”

“Yes, thank you,” a small, slightly wheezy voice said. Janet studied her readouts again for a moment, then brushed her hand across Sam’s cheek.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?”

“Better. Alive.” Sam managed a smile. “What happened?”

“You had an angina episode probably caused by the stress of coming through the wormhole. The drug I gave you will keep it under control but you mustn’t exert yourself. Promise me, Sam.”

“Don’t worry,” Sam covered Janet’s hand with her own. “I’ll be a good girl – a good little old lady.”

“Mmmm,” Janet said. Somehow she could never see Sam being anything other than what she was – no matter what age she was.

 

Sam was curled up asleep with her head in Janet’s lap when Olaf and Kir arrived from Gairwyn’s village with the oxcart. They had lined the wood and wicker cart with fleeces and brightly woven blankets. Without waking her, Teal’c carried Sam to the cart and laid her down, covering her with one of the blankets. Janet and Gairwyn jumped in the back of the cart with her, Teal’c electing to walk behind, watching their six as always. Toryn and Valdor walked ahead of the party, Olaf and Kir coaxed the oxen up the steep rocky path with experienced hands.

“You truly believe that Thor can make her young again?” Gairwyn asked. She seemed almost as much in awe of Sam as she was of the Asgard. Janet realised that it was entirely possible that Gairwyn had never seen anyone as old as Sam currently appeared to be.

“We hope so. Colonel O’Neill and Dr Jackson were given the same drug, though without the side effects that Sam suffered. We hope that Thor can help them to so that we can bring them home and maybe help the Scalosians as well. They developed the drug to protect themselves against the Goa’uld - the Ettin as you call them?”

Gairwyn nodded. “The Ettin are a great scourge. All we could do against them was hide. If it was not for Major Carter and SG1, my people would be dead or enslaved once more.”

“It was our fault that Heru’er was able to come back in the first place. We broke the Hammer,” Sam said quietly.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were awake,” Janet said warmly. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Okay I guess,” Sam said. “Where are we?”

“On Cimmeria, on the way to the beacon,” Janet said. “We borrowed an ox-cart from Gairwyn’s people as Teal’c didn’t fancy carrying you all the way. He says you’ve put on weight recently.” Janet glanced across at Teal’c and smiled at him, encouraging him to join in the joke.

“Indeed, Major Carter. Too much jello, I feel,” Teal’c rumbled.

“Har har,” Sam smiled. “You can never have too much jello, you should know that by now, T.” She settled down again against the warm sheepskin, gazing up at Janet, who still held hold of her hand.

“Are you hungry or thirsty?” Janet asked.

“Some water would be good,” Sam whispered. “Janet – how I acted earlier – I’m so sorry.”

 

It was getting dark by the time they reached the foot of the hill where Thor’s obelisk was situated. Teal’c wanted to press on but Janet, seeing Gairwyn and her companion’s growing unease agreed with their decision to set up camp for the night and press on again in the morning. Sam was in no immediate danger.

Gairwyn explained in hushed tones to Janet that they were in the dark of the moon, the time when demons were abroad, when Fenris was near. As they talked they heard a wolf howl somewhere in the forest above them, soon joined by a second and then a third.

“They hunt, but not us. My sistersons will guard the oxen and the cart. The wolves know them well as fellow hunters and will not approach.”

Janet was aware of movement beside her: Sam had woken up. “Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked softly, her fingers brushing Sam’s cheek. Every time she felt the changed texture of Sam’s skin it sent a shiver of almost-fear through her.

“Tired. Stiff.” Janet helped her to sit.

“We’ve already eaten but I saved some for you. Beef stew – if you’re hungry.”

Sam pulled a face. “Not really hungry.” She leant against Janet, gazed at the faces around her in the firelight, frowning when she realised that some she had expected to see were missing and there were others she did not recognise. “Where are we?”

“Cimmeria. On our way to Thor’s chamber,” Janet told her.

“Thor! The Colonel will be pleased. It’s been a while since we visited,” Sam said. She looked around. “Where is the Colonel? Is he on watch?”

“No, Teal’c and Olaf are on watch. Sam, the Colonel isn’t here. He’s on Scalosia, remember?”

“Of course I remember,” Sam shivered, her tone sharp. “I’m just…”

“I know. You’ve had a long day and the angina episode earlier took a lot out of you,” Janet said diplomatically. “We all get memory lapses, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“But you think it might be dementia,” Sam said. “Tell me, Janet.”

“I think you’re tired and that your energy reserves are very low,” Janet said. “I do not think that you’re developing dementia. Your CAT scans showed no signs of damage or degeneration.”

 

Teal’c showed no sign of tiring as he carried Sam up the mountain trail to the obelisk. She was quiet, unusually so. Janet figured that she was probably embarrassed at having to be carried like a child. Teal’c paused as he felt Major Carter go limp against him. Janet caught up with them.

“What is it?”

“Major Carter – she is very still.”

Janet checked her readouts and placed a gentle hand on Sam’s throat, checking her pulse. “I think she just fell asleep, Teal’c,” she smiled. “All her readings are fine.”

“She wishes she could do more. It is not in her nature to be helpless,” Teal’c said softly.

“I know, Teal’c. It hurts me to see her like this as well. But you should also remember that she trusts us to do what is best for her.”

He nodded. “Then I shall do my best to honour that trust.”

 

Sam woke as they reached the obelisk. Teal’c lowered her carefully to her feet again, holding her until he was sure she was steady. She glanced up at him affectionately. “Thank you,” she smiled. Teal’c inclined his head.

Gairwyn instructed the rest of her people to stand back. “We shall return to this place soon,” she said. “Thor will aid us in righting this injustice done to Carter.”

Gairwyn stood beside Janet as Teal’c reached out to touch the crystal set into the side of the obelisk. There was a flash of bright light and suddenly they were somewhere else. Janet steadied Sam again, feeling her pulse flare and then settle into a normal rhythm.

“I’m okay, Janet,” Sam said softly, curling her fingers around Janet’s wrist. “How are you doing? This is your first time here.”

“A little anxious,” Janet admitted. “Will we have to perform the challenges?”

“Probably,” Teal’c said. “Thor will not make this ‘a walk in the park’ for us.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Janet groaned. She was not looking forward to the ‘leap of faith’ part of the exercise. Heights she was not afraid of. She was a doctor. It was the depths that could kill you, illusion or not. And Sam was far from steady on her feet.

The floor shook and fell away leaving the thin spar of rock crossing the chasm. Teal’c took rope from his pack and fashioned a harness around Janet’s waist and shoulder, looping it around Sam and then himself.

“You will not fall, Major Carter, but if you should, we shall catch you, do not fear.”

Sam remembered their first crossing. “Gairwyn – are you all right?”

“I will be fine Major Carter,” Gairwyn said, her voice and face resolute.

They took it slowly and crossed the span without mishap though Janet insisted that they rest on the other side. Sam was trembling with fatigue and her lips had a bluish tinge to them again. She did not protest at the end of their rest period when Teal’c picked her up, cradling her in his arms again.

Gairwyn did the honours in the final chamber drawing the radius in the soft sandy centre of the circle, demonstrating that they knew the significance of Pi. Then there was a bright white light all around them.

Thor met them. “It is good to see you again Teal’c, Gairwyn. You must be Dr Fraiser. Major Carter has told me much about you.”

“Don’t worry Janet,” Sam said. “It was all good things.”

“Major Carter!” Thor looked genuinely shocked by her appearance. Teal’c lowered her onto a bench and Thor approached her curiously, reaching out one delicate hand to touch her white hair, her wrinkled skin. “We know from our studies of your race that they changed with age but we did not expect to see it happen to you for many years to come.”

“I did not expect it myself, Thor,” Sam said. “Teal’c told you what happened when we went to Scalosa?”

“He did. We are not familiar with the planet or its people. It has always been in Goa’uld territory.”

“Well they need our help. What they did to themselves to protect against the Goa’uld is slowly killing them. The Colonel and Daniel Jackson are stranded there until we find a way of reversing the process. And I’m…” she gestured at herself, “stuck like this.”

“Since Teal’c brought us word of your condition we have been studying the problem,” Heimdall said. “I will need to do some studies and a few tests but I believe we have the technology at our disposal to help you.”

“You can synthesise something that will reverse what happened to me?” Sam asked eagerly.

Heimdall bowed her head. “I regret that will be impossible. Perhaps if you had come to us within hours of this occurring. But the effects on your body are too deep seated. There is nothing we can do to repair your current body.”

“You’re talking about cloning,” Janet breathed. She sat down beside Sam, felt the blond nudge closer to her, resting against her shoulder. Janet let her arm slip around the slim waist. Cloning technology was still in its infancy on her world regarded by many almost as a black art but the Asgard had been using it as their method of propagation for millennia.

“That is what we propose, yes.”

“But you just said that this body is too badly damaged. Won’t any cells you take from it also be damaged in the same way? My clone would also be… faulty.” A sick sense of failure was eating into her. This would not work. Along with her youth the Scalosians seemed to have taken her optimism. She could not seem to see a way past this.

“Every time you use our transport device, we take an imprint of your cellular structure, your DNA. This is in case there is a failure, we can reconstruct you to that moment in time. The imprint is detailed enough to use as a blueprint for a new body.” He held up a hand “Just to reassure you, Major Carter, Dr Fraiser, we have not had any kind of failure for almost thirty centuries. But we believe that such safety protocols are prudent and necessary.”

“So how does this help Sam?” Janet asked. “The last imprint you have of her will be damaged in the same way that she is now.”

“We have an imprint of Major Carter from approximately one year ago when Heimdall rescued her from the underground laboratory.”

“When I was captured by Osiris,” Sam confirmed. “So you can use that cellular imprint. But won’t that mean I lose my memory of the last year. I don’t want that.” Her grip on Janet’s hand tightened. “Not to sound ungrateful or anything but…”

“In risking your life to rescue me and my research from Osiris and Anubis, you may have unwittingly saved yourself as well,” Heimdall said, coming to stand beside Thor. “The techniques that I perfected in my research I can put to use to blend the stored imprint with an imprint we shall make from you in a few hours time. You will suffer no loss of memory, I assure you, Major Carter. We can also make any alterations to the imprint that you desire.”

“Such as?” Sam asked.

“We can remove any remaining physical evidence of your possession by the Tok’ra Jolinar of Melkshur,” Thor said.

Sam stared at Thor and then at Janet. “They can remove the naquada and the protein marker.”

Janet nodded. “It sounds like it. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity, Sam.”

“Can I have a little time to think about what I want to happen?” Sam asked the Asgard scientists.

“Of course, Major Carter,” Heimdall answered. “It will take us several hours to retrieve and prepare your imprint. Let us know as soon as you have made your decision.”

“Would you rather that I went as well,” Janet asked softly. “This is your decision after all.”

“Stay, please,” Sam said. “I need you to understand what I want to happen. I also want to talk to you about what I want if…”

“You’ve already made your decision,” Janet guessed. “You want to keep what Jolinar left in you.”

Sam paused, then nodded. “I want to be exactly as I was before the mission. The naquada and the protein marker are part of who I am now. With them I can do things, I can use Goa’uld technology, I can sense their presence. Jolinar's memories have been useful to us many times. They allowed us to find the Tok’ra, to save my father’s lives and perhaps many other lives in the future. I can be of more use to Earth with Jolinar’s legacy than I can if I’m just me again. And if this does not work…”

“It will work. This is Asgard technology, remember. They don’t know the meaning of failure,” Janet held her lover closely for a moment. “I want you to think seriously about this legacy of Jolinar’s as you put it, Sam,” she said softly. “Yes, it allows you to use Goa’uld technology and sense their presence. And yes it brought us the alliance with the Tokra. But just remember how Jolinar’s memories and your flashbacks to them give you terrible nightmares. The naquada and protein marker interferes with your immune system. Yes, you do heal slightly faster because of it. But you also have mild to severe allergic reactions to about half of the drugs that we have available including anaesthetics and antibiotics. Every time you are injured and we need to do a blood transfusion we have compatibility problems with your blood. You can’t be treated in a normal hospital without a lot of questions being asked. Sections of our own government have tried to use you as a lab rat. And in all likelihood you can’t have children because your body would reject the foetus as alien tissue. And we have no idea what the long term effects on your health – mental as well as physical – will be.”

Sam closed her eyes. “I know. I know all of that, Janet, believe me. But I still think the potential benefits of retaining what Jolinar left in me outweigh all of that. I…”

Whatever she was about to say next was lost as Janet leant over and softly kissed her on the lips.

“And that’s why I love you so much. You are a remarkable woman, Samantha Carter. And I am so proud of you. And this is going to work, don’t worry. This will work.”

*******************************************************************************

O’Neill waited patiently by the DHD as the SGC dialled in for their pre-arranged update. Okay so it consisted of little more than the SGC dialling up Scalosia and effectively throwing a brick with a note attached to it through the open gate.

The last news bulletin from Hammond had been positive. Teal’c and the doc had taken Carter to Cimmeria and they had made contact with the Asgard who seemed to think that they could at least help Carter. They were also prepared to send a ship to Scalosia and attempt a rescue of sorts not only for him and Daniel but also the remaining Scalosians. Which was fine and dandy but if they wanted O’Neill’s opinion on the matter they should leave the Scalosians to rot.

This was all their fault after all.

Okay, if you really wanted to assign blame, it was all the Goa’uld’s fault. In particular, a guy called Eshmun. Daniel was able to give chapter and verse on the guy from a mythological point of view but however bored Jack O’Neill was, he knew he wasn’t yet that bored. The guy was a snakehead. O’Neill didn’t need to know anything else.

Rael was still being an obnoxious little git. A few minutes/hours/days earlier depending on your timeframe he had taken Jack aside and warned him not to play with his sister’s affections.

“Hey, believe me, Rael, I want nothing to do with your sister. She’s the one doing all the playing.”

“I know. And you have not given her what she wants. Your time is short, O’Neill. Another few weeks and your body will no longer be fertile.”

Well isn’t that something to look forward to, O’Neill thought sourly. Hopefully it’s another thing the Asgard can fix when they come and get us the hell out of here.

He managed to avoid both Rael and Deela completely for another couple of days. And then everything blew up.

O’Neill was sitting on a wall half listening to Daniel tell him again about the translation he had just completed, wishing he just had a tennis ball or even his yoyo to occupy his hands when Rael appeared, dragging Deela with him. “Oh forcryin’outloud!” he groaned. “I can’t deal with this again.”

“O’Neill. I would speak with you about your obligation to my sister.”

“Rael, most brother’s would be happy that some stranger wasn’t boning their sister for the hell of it.”

“You have an obligation to my sister, to our people.”

“Hey, for the last time, you did this to me, I didn’t ask to be stuck here. And there is nothing between me and your sister. There will never be anything between me and your sister. I’m sure she’s a lovely person but…” He dodged Rael’s punch and then threw one of his own that sent the young man staggering to the floor.

Deela screamed. Rael put an unsteady hand up to his nose, looked at the blood that now dripped from his fingers. The expression of anger on his face was now one of extreme fear. “You have killed me,” he whispered.

“Buddy, I barely touched you…” O’Neill began. Daniel pulled him away.

“This could be serious, Jack. Cellular damage to any of the Scalosians could mean that he starts to age the same way as Sam did. The same for us.” Carefully he examined Jack’s hands. “You look okay.”

Jack O’Neill couldn’t bring himself to care. He watched as Deela and two of Daniel’s assistants helped Rael away, all of them casting confused and angry glances at the two humans.

“Why do I get the feeling we just outstayed our welcome,” Daniel said softly.

*******************************************************************************

The old Sam Carter said goodbye to her friends. Gairwyn and Teal’c went back to Cimmeria. Janet was staying on board Thor’s ship to supervise the process. Heimdall was happy that she had integrated the two cellular profiles and that they were ready to begin the procedure.

As far as Sam was concerned she would go to sleep in the old body and wake up in the new one.

“Don’t be nervous. As Heimdall said, all that will happen is that you will go to sleep. There will be no pain or discomfort.” Janet had insisted on staying and supervising the whole process out of equal fascination with the technology and her concern for her lover. She smiled, stroked the silver hair back from the worn yet still familiar face. “Just go to your happy place, Sam.”

“Haven’t you figured it yet, Janet?” Sam’s eyes were already closing, her voice raspy with sleep. “Wherever you are, that’s my happy place.” Her blue eyes closed. Janet leant over and softly kissed each eyelid and then her mouth.

“Only sweet dreams,” she whispered. She looked up at Heimdall. “She’s under.” The pallet on which Sam lay slid into the machine. Her old body would be destroyed by the process, its matter feeding the creation of a new body. Janet smiled, remembering the legend of the phoenix.

It was strange, Janet reflected as she helped Heimdall arrange the scanning equipment. The Asgard were the only alien race she had come across other than the Nox who she didn’t have to crane her neck to deal with. Instinctively she had formed a bond with Heimdall, a fellow scientist and healer. Sam Carter was important to both of them.

Heimdall completed the scan and began to integrate it with the year-old scan of Sam Carter when she had been about to give her life to protect the Asgard scientist and his research from Osiris. Heimdall had rescued Sam just in time before Osiris’s torture began in earnest, though the young human had been on the point of collapse having been zatted and then attacked with a hand device in very short order.

“We can begin now,” Heimdall said. “I have inputted the integrated pattern and it is stable. The new body is being assembled. Watch.”

In a tank a few feet away a swirl of energy appeared. Janet watched in appalled fascination as recognizable structures began to appear. Bones, blood vessels, organs, muscles, tendons. It was an animated anatomy lesson in very real living colour. The form was humanoid, adult, female. Fatty deposits began to appear on hips, thighs and chest, the heart nestled in the chest cavity behind the protecting ribs, the digestive and reproductive systems were formed, liver and kidneys grew in their appointed places. The long muscles of the thigh, the tendons and cartilage that allowed the joints to work. Eyeballs appeared in their sockets, teeth sprouted in the jaws. The fine boned hands began to take on a covering of skin, nails appearing at the finger ends. Pale fine grained skin covered most of the body now, giving it definition, making it without question the body of Samantha Carter. The pattern was complete even down to the mole the exact location of which Janet was sworn to loving secrecy. Now hair began to grow on the head, in the junction of the thighs, the honey gold that Janet loved to run her fingers through.

It had taken about twenty minutes from the first swirl of energy to the light dusting of fine hairs appearing on Sam’s forearms. She was whole, she was as she had been when Janet had seen her hours before the mission to Scalosia.

But there was no life. The body was still. There was no sign that what had made Samantha Carter the person she was animated this collection of cells.

Heimdall nodded in satisfaction. “It went well, Dr Fraiser. The pattern is stable.” Small four fingered hands danced over the control panel. “She lives.”

Janet turned back to the tank in time to see Sam Carter take her first breath.

********************************************************************************

Corgan drew a sheet over his son’s body. “I do not blame you, Colonel O’Neill. The fight was Rael’s. He could no longer contain his anger. He truly believed that you people would be our salvation. Instead we have condemned you to the same fate as ourselves.”

“Yeah, about that,” O’Neill began. “I…”

He blinked and sat up. He was sitting in what looked like a fish tank. Correction he was buck naked and sitting in a fish tank and Carter was laughing at him.

His beautiful unattainable II1C who didn’t look a day over 35 was laughing at him.

“The little gray guys – they came up with something!” he exulted, his fists in the air before he remembered his somewhat exposed position. “Oops.”

Carter threw him a set of fatigues. “They came up with something. You are as you were before you went to Scalosia. So’s Danny. And from what they learnt from us they’re pretty confident that they can do something to help the Scalosians.”

Apart from Rael. If only he’d been able to hold it together a bit longer, O’Neill thought. “Carter, I gotta say, you look great. When I last saw you…”

“I know. Grandma Carter. Well, at least I now know what to expect,” Sam said. “Look I’ll er… let you get changed.” The Colonel was definitely pleased to see her. She had shared tents with him and the rest of SG1 long enough to know it was a guy thing but… it just wasn’t her thing.

The door slid open and before a blushing Carter could escape, Thor and Dr Fraiser walked in. “Colonel O’Neill. It is good to see you.”

“And you Thor old buddy, look, not to seem ungrateful but could you give me a minute here.”

“Of course. We will be on the bridge when you are ready to join us.”

“Sure.” He was sure he could hear a certain CMO sniggering and Carter was still blushing. “It’s cold in here, Doc. Leave a guy some dignity willya!”

“Yes sir, of course sir,” Janet said, clutching Sam’s arm and dragging her out before she lost it completely. As the door slid closed O’Neill heard two peals of laughter from the corridor. He grinned. They had beaten the odds again.


End file.
